


Too Much Wasted Time

by AmazonX



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, First Meeting, Fluff, New Relationship, past history, really sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-10 01:31:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/780216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmazonX/pseuds/AmazonX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve meets a fan and decides he's wasted enough time by not taking chances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Much Wasted Time

“Can I just say, it’s an honor to meet you.” Steve smiled gently at the nervous lab assistant. “Officially, I sort of had a major crush on you when I was a toddler.” Steve’s face fell a bit, thinking of this young woman as a toddler, and it made him feel incredibly old. “I even had a doll and I would have weekly weddings, so I could be Mrs. Captain America.” Dear Lord, what is she talking about? “I mean, um, just forget what I said. It’s just an honor to meet you.”

Steve would swear on the bible, if he believed in sacrilege, that she blushed faster than he normally did. “It’s nice to meet you, as well. Thor says lovely things about you. He calls you his little lightning-sister. Clint already told me about the Taser incident.”

“Oh, yeah, well, that’s not the only thing I carry with me all the time. When I was little, it was the Cap doll. Come to think of it, my mom used your doll and my Barbie to teach me about the birds and the bees. Yeah, although, your doll wasn’t, you know, anatomically correct or anything…still, you ushered me into puberty, so…thanks, I guess…”

It was Steve’s turn to blush bright red. He looked away, at some random piece of equipment that he had no clue what it was for, but he needed to look away. Both of their attention was taken quickly by a rappelling rope that fell between them and a smirking Clint Barton landed agilely in the gap.

“Really, Darcy, verbal diarrhea, again?” he said, shaking his head.

“Shut it, Barton, or I’ll grease all your ropes.”

“Darcy!” shouted Jane from across the lab.

“She’s singing my song,” said Darcy, then turned away to go to where Darcy was working on another piece of equipment.

“Cap, she’s really a pistol, but sometimes her mouth trips her up.”

“I had a good friend like that. He just talked a blue streak sometimes. It wasn’t until the war that he finally found quiet…”

“We all find something there, but some of us make it out different ways.” Clint had been in the Army Rangers, like Phil Coulson, so they both understood their Captain better than Tony or Bruce could. As the young people say, “You had to be there.”

“Hey, but don’t count lil’ bit out, she’s a good kid.”

“Kid? She’s at least…”

“Your age? Yeah, probably about 23 or 24. And you’re what…26? Closing in on 27? Sans time in the ice, I mean. Steve, lemme give you a tip about young people nowadays. Your generation were getting married and having families and homes and things right out of high school. Today, kids go to college; then, they spend the next couple of years trying to find jobs or careers, trying things, living at home or in shared apartments, like they’re still teens. Real life doesn’t start until their 30s in some cases. So, she may seem a little immature about certain things, but don’t let that spook you. Don’t count that against her. It’s just the way people are these days.”

“Thank you, Clint. It explains a lot.”

“Like why she still equates you to a Barbie doll?”

“I need to see this for myself. FAO Schwarz still around?”

“They were open when you were a kid?” Clint asked, incredulously.

“Been around longer than I have, brother! Bucky and I used to go and stare at all the toys all day long. Only toy store that wouldn’t kick out the dirty, scabby kids. Well, as long as we didn’t touch anything.”

“Just check in if you need anything,” Clint offers, and holds out his hand to shake. Steve grabbed it and they held tight, not pumping up and down, but a show of friendship.

Steve left the lab, and Darcy looked over, her blush finally having disappeared. She finished replacing the toner cartridge for Jane, not that Jane couldn’t do it, but she didn’t have the time nor inclination to fight with the color plotter printer. Darcy secretly loved doing it because the huge solid block of toner smelled like melting crayons when it was used to print the large star maps they hung on the walls to write on. Jane and Erik liked those better than the 3D laser matrices that Tony would project. Those made all three of them dizzy. And Darcy was dizzy enough, so said Erik.

*-*-*-*

Steve walked around the huge store, still wearing his aviator sunglasses and a Stark Industries cap hiding his blond hair from the copious amount of children around. He thought about not shaving for a while, so that people wouldn’t see his face, but he would wait maybe until the winter.

The carpeting started to turn pink and he followed countless little girls and boys to the section that held the magic woman: Barbie. Steve was overwhelmed by the sheer huge wall of doll boxes stacked on the shelves. There was a little girl standing a few feet away from him looking up as well. She couldn’t have been more than 7 or 8 years old. But she looked just like he thought Darcy would have at that age, with big blue eyes and a riot of curls at the end of two sweet braids down her back, tied with blue ribbons. She turned and looked at him.

“You looking for a Barbie, mister?” she asked him.

“I think so. My friend used to play with them when she was a little girl, and I wanted to find one that looked like her.”

“What’s she look like?” The little girl tilted her head to the side, and Steve could swear he saw her calculating something in her head.

“Well, she’s a little taller than you, but she has wavy dark hair and big blue eyes, kinda like you.”

“Hmmm,” she said, tapping her mouth with her finger. “I don’t think they got one of those. Sorry mister.”

She took off and grabbed the leg of a man who was talking to a clerk. He picked her up, then took the hand of another man and they walked away together. Steve cracked a half smile. He knew guys in the Army like that, but no one said anything, cuz when the chips were down, he knew who had his back. Who you went home to had nothing to do with your patriotism and your sense of duty.

Steve wandered out of the store and sat at one of the tables that had been set up in the plaza outside the store. He looked at the tourists and shoppers and business people all shuffling around. A particularly well-dressed woman walked by, long red hair flying in the breeze and it hit him who to call. 

“Pepper Potts, please.”

“Who shall I say is calling?” Steve had a special line to her office. The assistant knew if this line was used, this person was supposed to be calling Pepper.

“Steve Rogers, ma’am.”

“Yes, Mr. Rogers, just a moment please.”

A few seconds ticked by before Pepper picked up. “Steve! It’s so nice to hear from you! Is everything OK?”

“Yeah, I kinda have a favor to ask, Pepper, but I feel kinda weird. It’s for a girl…”

“Tony told me you met our Darcy. She’s a fire cracker, isn’t she?”

“Oh, she’s something. Look, can you help me out with this?”

Steve outlined his idea to her and it made Pepper laugh out loud. “Of course! I’ll get my assistant to connect with you and see what we can do on our end to have this done. I’m sure the company we have licensed to make our merchandise will be more than happy to assist.”

“You know when her birthday is?”

“Yes, it’s in September, and it’s only June, Steve. That’s a great idea! We have plenty of time.”

*-*-*-*

“With me?” she asked, incredulously.

“Uh, yeah, with you. I mean, if you don’t want to…”

“No! Oh my Thor, of course! I mean, why, though? I thought you’d be sick of like cowls and capes and stuff.”

“I got it as a recommendation. And I don’t wear a cape.”

“No capes!” Darcy shouted. “Oh, maybe that’s another movie we should watch, too, huh? So, like dinner out and then a marathon in the theater here?”

“Yeah, something like that. I know this place that does great burgers and it’s a little hole in the wall. Is that OK?” He was hopeful. He’d noticed a lot of young people were eating something they called “vegan”. He didn’t know what this was, another thing to look up, but he didn’t want to insult her.

“I need a good burger, yeah. Sounds awesome, OK!”

After they ate the two juiciest, cheesiest, sloppiest burgers they’d ever had, they took their time walking back to the Tower, Steve taking hold of Darcy’s hand as they strolled along. She was a chatterbox, he’d noticed and let her stream on and on about things he should know, should learn. He’d only been out of the Arctic for about six months, but he knew he spent far too much of that time brooding, boxing and being a nuisance to Clint, who was the only one who somehow got it. He decided after the Battle of Manhattan to become part of this world, and it seemed that listening to this young woman would help.

“So, you never told me why you wanted to see these movies,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.

“I told you, they were recommended to me. Why do you keep asking?”

“I figured, you know, Batman…maybe you’d want to see the comedy TV series. Not the newer, gritty, Christian Bale growling films. They’re really dark.”

“The Arctic ocean is dark. This is a picture. I’ll be fine.” Darcy became quiet at that, and he knew he’d said something he shouldn’t have. “Sorry, that kinda came out wrong. I meant, I’m an adult. Not made of sugar candy. I’ll be fine.”

He smirked down at her and they continued on their way. In the Avengers’ Tower home theater, they chose a long couch toward the front, instead of individual seats. By the end of the first movie, Darcy had Steve’s shirt off, his pants open with both of her hands grabbing his firm ass and her bra had made its first public appearance since she bought it. Shoes had disappeared and hands were mapping bodies to the music of the credits. From the records, and the personal accounts she’d read in the SHIELD files, she didn’t think this side of Captain America existed. The Star-Spangled Man with the Plan was not the one who was supposed to be grinding his erection against her thigh. 

“Wait, we have to stop,” she breathed in his ear. “Not here, anyway…”

“You’re right. My room?” he said.

She smiled. “On the first date?” she asked, coyly, sliding from under him and groping on the carpet for her shirt. She pulled it over her head and slipped her arms in the holes, not noticing she had it on inside out. And backwards.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. That’s just assuming…”

“Third date. That’s when you seal the deal in this era.” She started pulling on her Chucks, not caring to tie the laces, since she was going up to her floor shortly. “What did people do during your time?”

Darcy recognized her slip. This was his time, too. And it wasn’t fair to bring up things that could make him sad. “Sorry, that just slipped out.”

“Nah, s’OK. I should tell you my history, right?” Darcy nodded, trying not to watch Steve button his pants and tuck in his shirt. “Well, the first time…”

“The first time!” Darcy exclaimed, excitedly.

“Well…really? You actually listen to Tony? I am not…anyway. The first time, she was a girl Bucky set me up with, and she…wanted to see if everything was little. Showed her.”

“Oh My Thor! Really? Ok, how many more were there?” Darcy was on her knees on the couch, practically bouncing with anticipation.

“Just one girl. A USO showgirl. She was really nice. But she just wanted the Captain…not me. And it was just once. Although, she knew how I ascended in rank so quickly.”

“Shut the front door! Are you kidding me? That’s so cool, I can’t…”

“No! Don’t tell Tony, please! I do not want him broadcasting it on Facebook or something.”

“Oh, I would never do that! I was just going to say I can’t believe you got away with it. I mean, I thought all the girls had chaperones and stuff.”

“You spend enough time with people, they look at you differently. I guess the chaperone didn’t think I was a threat. And I wasn’t. Cuz I wasn’t that gal’s first guy. But I did my patriotic duty and wore a skin for Uncle Sam!”

“I don’t even want to know.”

*-*-*-*

Darcy woke to the mouth pressed to hers. She could tell by feel of his lips, the way he smelled like sleep and sheets and warmth, and the soft fingers on her cheek that it was Steve. He loved waking her like this, since they started sharing his rooms in the tower over the summer. It was just easier since they spent most of their nights together.

“Good morning, handsome,” she said, stretching. This was her favorite way to wake in the mornings.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he whispered against her cheek, trailing kisses along the way. He went into her waiting embrace and smacked a loud, comical kiss to her neck, making her laugh. “You are in for a treat today. I started breakfast and I’ll bring it in shortly. And then we’re spending the day out in the sunshine. Then, Tony and Pepper have a huge dinner and party planned. So, get ready for a day of activity!”

“How about right now?” she asked. Her lashes brushed her cheek sexily, a sight that went straight to Steve’s loins, flooding him with warmth and bringing the blood down from the big head to the little head.

“Don’t you want your breakfast hot?” he asked.

“We can cook more, can’t we?” she retorted. The waggle of her eyebrows brought a giggle bubbling out of Steve’s throat. “Besides, I know something else that’s hot right now.”

Steve’s hand slid down Darcy’s side to drift between her thighs, brushing over lower lips to feel just how hot she was, how wet and willing she was for him. Tossing the idea of breakfast out the window for the moment, he slipped under the covers beside her and brought their waiting mouths together. Kissing Darcy was sweeter than any other kiss Steve had gotten in his life. He relished each time their lips touched, as if it would be their last. He would concentrate on the texture of her lips, how warm and soft they were, how they moved in concert with his, tasting and pulling his tongue further into the hot slickness of her mouth.

He pulled away and kissed and nibbled down the searing flesh of her throat to her chest, just above the swell of her breasts. He sadly admitted, while he did like Darcy for herself, he was thankful for her abundant cleavage in which to bury his face. The attention he lavished on the curve of each breast, laved each nipple until it stood for him in a tight pink bud, blew warm, moist air gently across to make her squirm under him. Teeth worried each tip which brought the hot, wet center of her into contact with his loins, grinding and searing his skin. Steve situated himself between her thighs, and rubbed his freshly-shaven chin against her soft belly skin for which he was rewarded with giggles and more wriggling. 

“Don’t tease me,” she whispered. But that’s exactly what Steve intended to do. He ignored her words and placed light kisses on the swell of her belly. She complained about her “muffin top,” but all Steve could think of was she was the softest woman he’d ever held. He kissed each of her curves, ran his tongue along the crease of her thigh and stopped at center, slowly drawing his eyes up her body to her face. Darcy could almost feel those sinfully long lashes brush against her lips. The half smirk pooched Steve’s mouth out and she could feel it bump her, and she gave in right there, falling back against the pillows, arms spread out to her sides in surrender.

He used that clever mouth and quick tongue to bring her to the edge several times before allowing her the privilege of coming, rubbing herself on his face to get more friction. When Steve crawled slowly up to her, she couldn’t help but giggle.

“This brings you mirth, my dear?” he asked, sounding too much like Thor for her comfort.

“Your face looks like a glazed donut.”

“Well, it was a pleasure getting this way,” he drawled, stroking his moist chin along her cheek.

“No argument there. We aren’t…finished, are we?” she asked.

“You know me too well, sweetheart…”

He was swift but gentle as he entered her, pressing his mouth to hers, so she tasted herself on him. That only served to turn her on more. One hand disappeared from her breasts and Darcy heard Steve fumbling in the bedside drawer for a condom to slide onto the raging erection that was pressing into her hip. Of course, he reveled in dragging it against her skin, pre-come leaking and streaking her skin. They would need a long, hot shower when he was done with her. 

Steve sat up, kneeling before her, showing his naked form in all its glory. The morning sun was angled in behind him, backlighting him like Apollo come to life before her. Darcy could never have dreamed when she saw Thor half-dressed that she could have a god of her own. He rolled the condom down his shaft, long and thick and almost too much for Darcy to take. Steve wasted no time in lying atop her, lining himself up with her entrance and sliding all the way in one smooth motion. 

Shockwaves shot through her arms and legs, causing Darcy to curl her toes against Steve’s ass as she tried to pull him further inside her. She threaded both hands through his hair, pulled his mouth to hers, and reveled in the strength of his lips. Her hands scratched as his back, and his hips started snapping back and forth with purpose. They were always this way together in the morning – hard and fast and frenzied; Darcy insisted on slowing down in their evenings when they had all the time world to explore each other. 

Darcy thrusted her hips up to meet Steve’s, thankful for the padding she sports, because otherwise their hipbones would bruise with the force, and the sound of skin slapping together echoed in the room. “Shit, yeah, Steve I’m close,” she panted in his ear. He wanted to bring her off again, get her to that place of peace and heat and screaming they both love so much. So he added the twist. It was a jerk of his hips so he hits that spot. He found it when he lost his balance and that happy accident became his greatest find. Twice, three times, four times and teeth sunk into his shoulder while Darcy’s body shivered under his. Steve let his own pleasure rip, shouting into the pillow below, calling on God, and Darcy and swearing.

He collapsed on her, breathing into her hair, inhaling the just lingering scent of her shampoo, some perfumed smell. Darcy’s finger traced the bruise she left on his shoulder of her teeth, as it slowly healed before her eyes. The first time she’d bitten him, she was frightened she’d broken the skin, but Steve just laughed, saying he could try and slit his throat with his straight razor and it would heal before he felt slightly woozy from the loss of blood.

Steve moved off Darcy to remove the condom and wipe off before cuddling back beside her. “Happy birthday, Darcy Lewis. I love you.”

“I love you back, Steve Rogers.”

The whole relationship was almost a joke when she thought back on it. She stood beside him in the shower, letting him scrub her hair, thinking about her ridiculous comments about her Captain America doll. She didn’t even equate Captain America with her Steve anymore, unless she actually saw him change into his uniform. She knew her Steve so well, his moods, his actions, when he said he was fine but he really wasn’t. She knew when to hold him after a bad mission, or leave him alone after a good one, because even a win was a loss in some way to him. She would sit beside him in the med ward of SHIELD headquarters as his body healed from its horrific wounds, him sedated almost to coma. She would hold his hand and feel him shivering in his unconscious state, praying this bout of injuries wasn’t the ones that took him out of the field for good. She knew, if he didn’t have being Captain America to keep him going, he wouldn’t want to be in this world anymore.

Lying on the grass in Central Park in September, enjoying the last of the summer heat in the city was a perfect day. All the kids were in school, people were at work and they had a huge patch of sun to themselves. Steve had packed a picnic lunch and they lay together, cuddling, kissing a little, and Steve inevitably pulled out his sketch pad and pencils to capture Darcy lying back and reading. As the sun moved, they knew it was getting late and they should get back to the Tower to change for the party. Darcy knew what she was going to wear, something slinky and sparkly, and a rich azure color to match both their eyes. And Tony had just given her a pair of “you win, I lose” Louboutins to go with it. Steve promised to match his outfit to hers, and she ensured it by getting him a suit, shirt and tie, monochrome to match her outfit. If Tony Stark was throwing her a party, which she knew he would, she was going to be ready for it!

When they walked in together, Darcy dripping with borrowed sapphires on her ears, arm and neck, everyone yelled “Happy Birthday!” All the Avengers were there, Clint and Natasha together, Thor holding Jane by the waist, Tony and Pepper holding up their champagne glasses, Bruce with Betty, who allowed him to stand just a half step behind her, as was his preference. Coulson stood beside a lovely woman, who Darcy assumed was his cellist that Tony wouldn’t let get away from him. And even Maria Hill wore a smile, if the hand Nick Fury had on her waist had anything to do with it. There were others that Darcy knew, and even Happy was there with a gorgeous date. It was a party!

“Wait, now, wait, there’s something really special we have to show you. The cake…” Tony interrupted.

“And here I thought Steve would be into the food aspect.” Darcy smiled up at Steve, who winked.

“You’ll like this.”

They walked through the great room toward the large picture windows that looked to the west, with the teeniest bit of lighter purple at the edge of the city, where the last vestiges of the sunset were still clinging on. There was a large table covered in a cloth of spring green, her favorite color, which matched the balloons and ribbons and streamers. These weren’t the usual ones, they had spring green LED lights blinking her name and happy birthday. Ah, Tony strikes again!

But on the green cloth, covered liberally with green sparkles and green confetti was a cake, but not just any cake. This was a three tier, spring-green-fondant-covered, flowered and silver-mahendi-patterned masterpiece. Darcy couldn’t help, but cover her mouth with her hands, afraid she would scream. On top of the cake was a full-sized Captain America doll, but not like she had as a little girl. It was the very expensive, hand-sculpted doll that they had to get Steve to sit for with alginate on his face to get each and every feature right. Along with the dozens of photos they took. The best part was next to it.

“Steve, is that what I think it is?” she asked, quietly, walking to the cake. Posed next to Captain America was a doll made by Stark Industries toy division, but it looked exactly like Darcy. She had the same long, curly hair, same curvy figure and same adorable smirk. Also, she had a Taser in her hand.

“Now, you can have those weddings you used to,” Steve said, smiling. Darcy smiled, and it was the sweetest thing, but just the thought of her doll self marrying the man she loved, it almost broke her heart. Well, no, her doll self would be marrying Captain America. And the man she wanted to marry was quite different, and probably didn’t have any clue how she felt.

“You’re not happy?” he asked. Steve took Darcy by the shoulders and turned her towards him. He tipped her face up under her chin and looked into her eyes.

“Oh, yes, I am, thank you. I truly love it.” She smiled up at him, but the sparkle didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Well, I should give you my gift, then,” Steve said.

“Wait, the dolls aren’t yours?” she asked. She looked over at the cake again, and then back at Steve.

“No, those are from Pepper and I, but…” Tony said, then Pepper shoved a baby carrot in his mouth so he wouldn’t say anymore.

“Then…” Darcy turned back to Steve, who’d lost a few feet in height, and she looked down to where he knelt, on one knee. “Oh shit…”

His hand slipped out of his pocket and the black velvet box looked small in his huge hand. He pried it open and the amount of sparkle in the box fairly blinded Darcy.

“Miss Darcy Marie Lewis, would you do me the honor of marrying me?” he asked, taking the ring out of the box and holding it up to her. He slowly looked up to her face, and she could see his fear in his big, puppy-dog eyes.

“Mr. Steven Grant Rogers, I would be honored to marry you,” she said, allowing him to slip the ring on her hand. Steve stood and swept Darcy up into his arms, swinging her around and kissing her soundly. Everyone closed in, offered their congratulations, Thor being the most exuberant and taking her for another hug and spin.

After the champagne was popped and toasts were made, Darcy took a good look at her ring. There was a round diamond with a ring of rubies around and then a ring of sapphires around that. She smiled widely. “You gave me your shield,” she said, looking down at it.

“I will always protect you, your body and your heart.” Steve kissed her again, holding her tightly.

“And to think, it all started with my puberty…” she said. Steve laughed as he looked down at her, shaking his head.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, katertots, for the fastest beta and letting me get this posted just in time for merideath's birthday! It was my first so if you liked, kudos are love and comments can only make me a better writer!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Auction Block](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1415452) by [imel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imel/pseuds/imel)




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